Halo Array: Difference between revisions

By [[2553#January|January 2553]], the UNSC had begun an active search for the remaining Halo installations, with the intent to decommission them.<ref>'''Halo: Glasslands''', ''page 50''</ref> By at least [[2557|July 2557]], UNSC scientists were studying the Array for decommissioning, with facilities at Installations 03 and 05. Installation 00 was scouted by both automated probes and the ONI vessel {{UNSCShip|Rubicon}}, which was lost several days after its arrival. [[Installation 07]] was discovered in early [[2555]], with an ONI research group stationed on the ring immediately afterward. A crisis occurred when it was discovered that Installation 07—as well as the other Halos—were counting down to activation in five weeks from March 8, 2555. The activation countdown had been initiated by [[Bobby Kodiak|a human]] captured by [[000 Tragic Solitude]], the Ark's [[Rampancy|rampant]] [[monitor]]. In response to this threat, which was kept highly classified, a joint UNSC-[[Sangheili]] detachment embarked on a mission to the damaged Installation 00, as the Ark was believed to be the source of the countdown.<ref name="hitd c2"/> Ultimately, the team was able to avert the Halos' activation and the monitor was destroyed.<ref>'''[[Halo: Hunters in the Dark]]'''</ref>

Later, the scientists studying Installation 03 located the [[Composer]] on the ring and accidentally activated it, causing them to become digitized. However, the sensor data left over from the incident led to the discovery of the [[shield world]] [[Requiem]]. Later, the [[Ur-Didact|Didact]] traveled to Ivanoff Station near Installation 03 to retrieve the Composer and used the device to harvest the essences of the entire research staff before heading for Earth.<ref>'''Halo 4'''</ref> Meanwhile, [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant faction]] and their [[Promethean]] allies attempted to take control of Installation 03 by using the [[Conduit]] to open [[slipspace portal]]s across the ring, but the attack was repelled by a [[Spartan]] [[Headhunter]].<ref>'''Halo: Spartan Strike''', ''[[Operation C: Valiant Hammer]]''</ref>

The Halos are capable of repairing themselves to some degree, replacing damaged plates of foundation material and restoring biological sections.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 77-78''</ref> Some of the 30,000 km-diameter Halos could also be reduced to a smaller size by shedding large portions of the foundation.<ref name="maker"/> In order to prevent the ring from falling apart during this process, it could generate a hard light hub with spokes which hold each of the foundation plates in place.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''pages 345-346''</ref> However, the self-reduction process was far from perfect and made the original Halos prone to instability and collapse.<ref name="maker"/> The newer Halos are capable of safely ejecting small segments as well, as long as the process is overseen by a capable enough intelligence such as a [[monitor]].<ref name="HE10"/>

Each Halo has several assets that are uniform to all installations. Each contains a [[Control Room]] located somewhere upon its inner surface, from which a [[Reclaimer]] must manually insert the installation's [[Activation Index]] to activate it. Each also possesses a [[Library]], a large structure protected by [[Containment shield|an energy shield]], where the Index is housed and protected by Sentinels.<ref name="library"/><ref>'''Halo 2''', level ''[[Sacred Icon]]''</ref> The index itself is a semisolid [[holography|holographic]] representation of the data needed to activate the ring, and can only be directly inserted successfully by a Reclaimer.